By Ron Shinn
KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH used smoke, flashing lights, loud music and a giant curtain when it unveiled its first industrial 3D printing machines at K2022. Some in the audience snickered at the excessive showmanship, but now the first of these new machines is in the U.S. and getting down to business.
The powerPrint, available for demonstrations at the KraussMaffei Corp. tech center in Brighton, Mich., is a unique, large-scale industrial printer that represents another step in the evolution of thermoplastics 3D printing.
“We know how to process thermoplastics,” said Dan Rozelman, technical and application sales manager, who is responsible for the company’s 3D printing program in North America. “We took our existing technology and converted it into printing.”
The company said its technology enables net shape or near-net shape production with excellent surfaces by milling. The machine’s design also provides the best cost per part and efficient thermal management results in excellent recurring part quality, according to KraussMaffei.
Print speed is up to 11.8 inches per second, which means the powerPrint can process up to 154 pounds per hour.
The extruder-based powerPrint has a build platform of about 6.5 feet by 8.2 feet by 6.5 feet. Maximum printing chamber temperature is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The extruder was designed by KraussMaffei.
Access to parts is through an open roof and open doors.
PowerPrint has a 16-zone vacuum table that can be heated up to 356 degrees Fahrenheit. The printing surface consists of vacuum-fixed printing plates.
Each of the 16 temperature zones can be individually controlled, according to Rozelman.
KraussMaffei has a variety of ready-to-use granular materials, including recycled glycol-modified PET with 30 percent glass fiber, polyetherimide with 20 percent carbon fiber, ABS with 20 percent carbon fiber, PC with 20 percent carbon fiber, PP with 30 percent carbon fiber and unfilled PC.
Different nozzles let the user adjust wall thickness from 4mm to 20mm.
KraussMaffei is using a separate sales force for the powerPrint. None have been sold yet in North America, but some are in use in Europe, where the technology was introduced. Rozelman said the company has 70 technicians in North America to install and service the powerPrint.
KraussMaffei also introduced a liquid-resin-based laser 3D printer called precisionPrint at the same time it unveiled powerPrint. That unit, primarily for smaller, precision parts, is not currently being sold.
Contact:
KraussMaffei Corp., Florence, Ky., 859-283-0200, www.kraussmaffei.com.
Ron Shinn | Editor
Editor Ron Shinn is a co-founder of Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing and has been covering the plastics industry for more than 35 years. He leads the editorial team, directs coverage and sets the editorial calendar. He also writes features, including the Talking Points column and On the Factory Floor, and covers recycling and sustainability for PMM and Plastics Recycling.
